Manufacture of umbrellas



Aug. 24, 1943. A. WRIGHT MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS Filed May 28, 1940 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 24, 1943 UNITED STATES rPT-ENT ,QFFICE a t 2,327,688

ANUFACTURE ornramannins Arthur Wright, Forest Hills, N. Y. 1 Application May 28, 1940, Serial No. 337.570

- 9 Claims. (01.135531 My invention relates particularly to means and method for the manufacture of self-rolling umbrellas, such as contained'in my patent upon Self-rolling umbrella and. process of producing the same, No. 2,167,360, granted August 1, 1939.

The object of my invention is to .provide means and method whereby umbrellas of the above character may be readily and effectively, manufactured. One of the objects is to provide asimple way of attaching springs to the tips of the ribs of an umbrella. Another object is to provide an effective and simple way of winding up the springs on the ribs. Another object is to provide a key by which the springs can be wound up or tightened, as desired. A further object is toprovide a cover for the umbrella which will permit the springs to fully wind up the folds of the cov- Winding up the fabric on the rib, similar to Fig."

6 of my patent aforesaid;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a spring on the rib in the unwound or untightened position, having applied thereto a key in the preferred form preparatory to winding up the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one form of key which 1 can be used for winding up the ribs;

Fig. 4 is-a right end view of the same; Fig, 5 is a plan view of another form of key which can be used for the same purpose Fig. 6 is a left end view of the same; i

Fig. 7 is a plan View of another form of key in two pieces for this purpose;

Fig. 8 is an end view of one of said pieces; Fig. 9 is an end view of the other piece thereof;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the preferred form of key which is the same as shown in Fig; 2;

Fig. 11 is an end view at one end thereof;

Fig. 12is a right end view of the other end thereof; 1 i

Fig. 13 is a transverse section of said key; and

Fig. 14 is an end elevation of the spring in the form in which it is placed over the rib.

In the drawing I have shown an umbrella rib lof the usual U-shaped cross-section, which has "the usual end 2 bent together and having a hole 3 through which the fastening meansfis applied to'the usual ring 4 going over a stick 5 of'the umbrella. V Said umbrella mayrhave any-number of ribs-as forzexample eight, ten, .twel ve .or'sixteen. Each of the ribs has theusual link 6 secured to 'it bya pivotpin i. The links 6 are secured to the usual slide ring on the stick 5, which. latter has the-usual catch for holding said ringin position when the umbrella is down, the said ring and catch not being shown as itis of any *usual construction. The umbrella has a covert of any desired material, such as a woven fabric; The cover 8 is. constructed in the usual way, that is to say so as to be comprised of sections 9 to fit between adjacent ribs when the umbrella is in the up-position, thesections 9 being stitchedtogether along lines ll] of the ribs. However, the dimensions of the fabric sections 9 are different from theusual umbrella construction in that the distance from the 'stick' 5 to the. end of the rib is made somewhat longer in order to allow for the shortening of the cover along the ribs when wound upthereon. The number of windings of the fabricon the ribs may beof any desired number to roll up completely the intervening portions of the fabric on the adjacent ribs, as hereinafter described. In ordinary types of umbrellas thenumber of turns of the fabric may, for example, by anywhere from two to six windlugs, and according to the numberof windings the fabric is given the extra length along the direction of the rib as compared with thelength of the rib and as compared with the length of the fabric in the ordinary umbrella construction. In other words the length that is added to this dimension of the fabric would be approximately or a little more than the number of windings of the'fabric around the ribtimes the circular distance around the rib plus-the normal length ofthe fabric in the usual umbrella which is not self-rolling. On the end of each of the ribs I I have provided a tip I l havinga roundedhead l2 and a cylindrical portion [3 provided with a bore It to fit over a substantially cylindrical constricted portion l5 on the-outer end of the rib I.

:The tip I I has a hole IE for threads ll, by means .ofwhich the tip is sewedto the fabric 9. The

tip l l iscustomarily sewed in this way while the cylindrical portion l3 faces outwardly away from ;the:rib -2 and is then turnedv 180 preparatory to placingit over the rib l. Before placing it over the rib 1, however, a helical spring l8, having a plain cylindrical end I9, is wound onto the cylindrical portion l3 of the tip, the spring [8 being large enough to be thus'forced over the end of tip to the cover, applying a helical spring over the tip, placing the spring and tip over a rib on which the tip is rotatable, and winding up the spring on the rib.

8; The method of manufacturing self-rolling umbrellas which comprises applying to an umbrella a cover longer in the direction of the rib than the distance between the points in the umbrella to which the cover is attached, securing a tip to the cover, applying a helical spring over the tip, placing the spring and tip over a rib on which the tiplis rotatable, and winding up the spring on the rib by rotating a tool around the rib.

9. The method of manufacturing self-rolling umbrellas which comprises applying to an umbrella a cover longer in the direction of the rib than the distance between the points in the umbrella to which the cover is attached, securing a tip to the cover, applying a helical spring over the tip, placing the spring and tip over a rib on which the tip is rotatable, and winding up the spring on the rib by rotating a tool around the rib, which tool is inserted and removed laterally from said rib.

ARTHUR WRIGHT. 

